Flexible friction-splice for well-drilling.



J. I. MICHAELS & L. GILLETTE.

FLEXIBLE FRICTION SPLICE FOR WELL DRILLING. APPLIOATION FILED MAR.15,1911.

999,461 Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH 60., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITE STT ATNT GFCE.

JAMES I. MICHAELS AND LEVER'QTE GILLETTE, OF FAIR/MONT, WEST VIRGINIA.

FLEXIBLE FRICTION-SPLICE FOR WELL-DRILLING.

Application filed March 15, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES I. MICHAELS and LEVERNE GILLETTE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Fairmont, county of Marion, State of WestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FlexibleFriction-Splices for Well- Drilling, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements forsplicing Manila cable or rope to a wire rope which combination is nowused in drilling oil wells or other deep holes, the object being toovercome the disadvantages now existing with splices in use for thispurpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a splice which is asstrong as either of the ropes being spliced together and at the sametime to form a splice which is small enough to allow a rope knife to bepassed down through a five inch casing around the splice and on to thedrill tool and there cut the Manila cable or rope in case of a toolbecoming fastened in the hole, thereby saving the loss of any cable orrope.

A further object of the invention is to provide a splice which consistsof a wire cable laid into the center of a Manila cable which isaccomplished by partly untwisting the Manila cable which is formed ofthree plain laid ropes, a little at a time and pressing the wire cablein a spiral direction conforming to the spiral direction of the plainlaid ropes of the Manila cable so as to cause the wire cable to take theposition of a straight cylindrical core within the Manila cable.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims.

In the drawingFigure 1 is a view of the complete splice; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal central sectional view showing the wire cable in elevation;Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 1is a similar section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures ofthe drawing.

In the drawing, 1 indicates a Manila cable and 2 a wire cable which maybe of the ordinary construction now employed for well drilling machinesto which this inven- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Serial No. 614,522.

tion is particularly adapted to be used. The lower portion of the wirecable 2, as shown at 3 (Fig. 2) is gradually reduced in size from thepoint 1 to the end 5 by cutting out wires from each strand at intervals,as at 6, sufficiently to reduce the wire cable to a considerably smallerdiameter, the wire cable preferably employed being formed of siX strandsof nineteen wires to the strand.

In placing the wire cable in position, the end portion of the Manilacable 1 is partly untwisted a little at a time and the reduced endportion of the wire cable 2 is forced in a spiral direction between thethree plain laid ropes from which the Manila cable is preferably formed,conforming to the spiral direction of the plain laid ropes of the Manilacable so as to cause the wire cable to assume a straight cylindricalcore within the Manila cable.

For holding the overlapping ends of the respective cables in theirproper relation, we employ a number of coiled spring steel bands, 7, 8and 9, which are placed upon the Manila cable beyond the point of thesplice when the wire cable is being forced into position in order toallow the bands to be drawn back into the positions as shown andcompressed by a suitable steel clamp, not shown. In this position, theycompress the plain laid ropes of the Manila cable tightly against thewire cable making a frictional joint between the outer surface of thewire cable and the inner surface of the Manila cable and by constructingthese bands in the form of a coiled spring, a continuous pressure isapplied upon the splice in order to press the plain laid ropes of theManila cable tightly against the wire cable, as they decrease in sizefrom stretch and wear.

The upper end of the Manila cable or rope, as shown at 10, (Fig. 2) isgradually reduced in size from the spring clamp 9 to its end 11,bycutting out yarns of the three strands (a Manila cable-laid rope beingformed of three plain laid ropes of three strands, each strand beingformed of several yarns which yarns are made up of Manila fibers) atintervals, as at 12, sufficient to reduce the cable or rope to a smalldiameter, as at 11; the ends of the strands of each of the plain laidropes of which the cable is composed being run under one or two of thewire strands of the wire rope, which is, in other words, through thewire rope as at 13;

a pull on the wire rope and Manila cable causing the strands of the wirerope to take a friction grip on'the strands of the plain laid ropes ofthe Manila cable or rope, said ends of the plain laid ropes of theManila cable being firmly held causes the Manila cable to grip the wirerope tighter all along the splice when the load or pull is on the ropes.The tapered portions from upper spring clamps 9 to 11 are then woundwith yarns or wire, as at 14:, to make a friction tight joint betweenthe outer surface of the wire rope and the inner surface of the Ma nilacable or rope.

It will be readily seen that the continued pull of the drilling tools onthe cable, which has the end of each strand run under the strands of thewire rope and wound tight with yarn and the spring bands pressingtightly these strands against the wire rope causes the splice to gettighter and stronger, rather than loose as other splices do, and thesplice is flexible.

Having described our invention and set forth its merits, what we claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A cable splicehaving itsinterlocking strands held under tension by a spring band.

2. A cable splice having flexible coiled spring metal bands surroundingthe same.

3. A splice of the kind described composed of a Manila cable having awire cable laid in the central part thereof without unlaying said Manilacable and spring compressing bands surrounding said splices.

A. A flexible frictional splice of a Manila cable with a wire cablehaving strands of the plain laid ropes of the Manila cable reduced attheir ends and inserted under the strands of the wire cable, saidreduced portion being bound by strands of yarns or wire forming africtional joint between the outer surface of the wire cable and theinner surface of the Manila cable and compressing members surroundingsaid splices.

5. A splice for connecting metallic cables lic cable having a reducedend arranged .within the non-metallic cable, a binding arranged over thereduced end of the nonmetallic cable, and flexible bands surrounding theoverlapping portions of said cables.

6. A splice for metallic and non-metallic cables comprising a metalliccable having a reduced end laid within the non-metallic cable, thereduced end of the non-metallic cable being laced between the strands ofthe metallic cable, and coiled spring bands arranged over the overlyingportion of said non-metallic cable.

7. A cable splice having its end sections twisted together, and spiralspring metal bands surrounding the overlying portion of said cable.

8. A cable splice having its sections united by twisting the end of onecable within the other cable, the ends of the respective cables beingreduced, the end of the outer cable being laced in the inner cable, abinding arranged around the end of the outer cable, and spaced coiledspring metal bands arranged over the overlying portion of the outercable for holding the respective cables in frictional engagement.

9. A flexible frictional splice of a Manila cable with a wire cable,having the Manila cable clamped tightly around the wire cable by steelcoiled spring bands, said spring bands decreasing in diameter andclamping the splice tightly as the same decreases in diameter fromstretch and wear.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES I. MIGHAELS. LEVERNE GILLETTE.

Witnesses:

FRnnERIo HELMIGK, CLAUDE L. Woon.

Copies 01. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

